The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1887-06-06
ONE woMEN's FbAa.
How a Plucky Pioneer Improvised a
Famous Old Banner ~ California.
From the Pittsbtsrg Dispakch

John Fowler, one of the few survivors of
che handful of native Americans-subse-
ouently known as the Bear Flag insurgents
who. ON June IA, 1916, little less
than a month before they learned thai the
tinted States had declared war against
Mexico, made bold and determined effort
tn free California from the latter country,
whose possession she then was, by declaring
her an independent republic. after the man
ner of Texas. Though sixty-five years Oh
age. he perfectly retains his memory and
All his other faculties, and gave me a most
interesting account of the stirring scenes en-
acted at that time and in which he was q
most active participant.
In the magnificent hall of the flourish
ing social order and historical society known
as fhe Pioneers of California, on Fourth
street. near Mission, in San Francisco, are
displayed two peculiar flags, the only ones
of the kind ever made, which were the stand
ards of the Americans in their revolt against
Mexico, and from which they derived their
name of the Bear Flag insurgents or Bear
Flag party. These flags consist of a large,
almost square piece of muslin, 5 or 6 feet in
length, once white, but now completely yell
lowed by time, to the bottom of which is
roughly sewn a narrow strip of red flannel.
TTpon the muslin ground of each in the up
ner right hand corner is painted star, while
the centre is ornamented with the represen-
tation of bear, beneath which are the
words. California Republic" The only
important difference between the two flags
is that the bear upon one is rampant, while
that upon the other is on all fours.
Mr.. Fowler swears positively that the flag
bearing the picture of rampant bear is the
one first made and raised by the Bear Flag
Insurgents.
FREMoNT's EXPEDITION.
SIT was in February, 1896" said Mr. Fow-
Ter in talking of the matter, that Gen.
Fremont, at the head of an exploring ex
pedition sent on by the United States gov
srnment, having entered California, then a
possession of Mexico, without the permission
of the Mexican government was encamped
at Fort Gabilan when a dispute arose be-
tween him and native California about a
horse which the latter found in the posses
sion of one of Fremont's men, and which he
claimed as having been stolen Fremont re-
( Used to surrender the horse, and defied the
Mexican authorities, who had no troops in
the neighborhood with which they could
safely attack the American rifemen.
II was about 25 years of age, and was in
the employ of Mr.. John Suffer, an Ameri-
can who had acquired considerable property
in California, and who owned, some miles
from Sonoma, large ranch where he had
erected sort of walled stockade as a pro-
lection against the Indians 1t was popu-
larly known as Suffers Fort. On June 5,
1916, there arrived at our fort q Mexican
Lieutenant name Arce, who was on his way
to Sonoma In the course of conversation he
incautiously let fall that his errand was to
procure horses to be used IN eXpelllng the
American residents.
"This statement seemed to demand instant
action. Mr.. Suffer Immediately sent out
messengers to all the Americans in our vicin-
Nv and called on them to assemble at his
fort. They did so on June z, and at that
meeting long score of grievances inflicted
by the Mexican government upon Ameri-
cans living in California was discussed at
great length, in addition to what was now
regarded as the expressed determination of
that power to expel the Americans. After
considerable debate we finally voted unani-
mously to. anticipate Mexico by declaring
war against her, making all her alcaldes and
other officials our prisoners, and seizing her
military posts throughout California-all of
them very poorly garrisoned-before she
should have had time to take any steps
against U.s. We dispatched a messenger to
Gen. Fremont, who had then moved his
camp about thirty miles to the northward
of US, asking him to join his forces with
ours, become our conmander-in-chief and
unite with us in declaring war againt Next
co. He refused to comply with our request,
but expressed sympathy with our purposes,
and promised to remain in our vicinity in
the hope that he might afford us some indi-
rect assistance.
AN ALTERNATE COURSE.
disappointed at not securing the active
cooperation of Fremont, we proceeded to
form a military organization, and with
great heartiness and unanimity chose Ezekiel
Merritt as our commander. Merritt was a
oh, axx.I hNlA OWL
rough-spoken man of the Israel
Putnam type. Though strong as an OK and
as brave as lion. he was also, when occa-
sion required, as tender and as gentle as a
woman, and was one of the best of nurses
for a sick man. We could not have chosen
better chieftain to lead us against the Next
cans, and under his dauntleSs leadership we
rode all well mounted directly to Sonoma,
the only town and military post of Mexico,
north of the Golden Gate. Itwas about noon
on Sunday June IA, that we entered Sonoma,
The day was intensely hot and the inhabi-
tants were all sitting outside of their houses
or at their windows They were taken COM
pletely by surprise, not having had the
slightest inkling of our coming, and not a
soul imagined what our errand was until we
rode up to the Mexican fort, and Merritt,
our bold leader, demanded the immediate
surrender, not as Col Athan Allen once
AAAOAS O olliilldl IA pLC heAiAiO Va
the Continental Congress and the great
Jehovah, but in the name of the Indepen-
dent Republic of California The garrison
as much surprised as the people of the town
had been, was wholly unprepared for any
resistance, and, though we numbered only
th1rty-two men, it was surrendered at
once.
"As there were a number of native Cali
folnians in the vicinity. we deemed it best
to send NJ. G. Vallejo, the general-com-
nandant, and his brother-in-law, Jacob P.
Leese, an American, who sided with the
Mexicans and refused to join our move
ment, though we desired him to do so, back
TO Suffers fort as prisoners of war Fear
ing an attack and an attempt at rescue by
native Colifornians on the way, it was de-
elded that the escort should be commanded
by Merritt, while William B. Ide, an equal
~ bold and hardy pioneer, succeeded him in
the command at Sonoma.
Though we all desire to use the Ameri-
can flag, we felt that we had no right to do
so, as the United States was not at war with
Mexico, and that we must have a standard
OF our own after the manner of Texas when
she declared her independence. Various de-
Signs for banner had been suggested, when
Commandant Ide said: Gentlemen, it is
only wasting time to talk about design for
nag when we have no material with which
Uomake one That was true enough. There
was not yard of bunting, muslin or flannel
IN Sonoma, except what was already made
up into garments.